Improved composition foe blacking leatheb



goiter: $13125 igettat @t firr.

JOHNN ENGELHARDT, OE GARBONDA LE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO E. E.HENDRICK AND PETER DOLAN, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 76,897, dated April 21, 1868.

IMPROVED GOMPOSITION FOR BLAGKING LEATHER.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: e 7

Be it known that I, JOHNN ENGELHARDT, of the city ofCarbondale, in thecounty oi'Luaernc, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new andimproved Leather-Blocking Composition; and I do herebydeclare thefollowing to be a clear, exact, and full description thereof. I i

The nature of my invention consists in combining lager beer, oxide ofiron, and logwood in such a manner as to produce, when applied toleather, a jet-black color, that may be readily polished without theaddition of v I varnish.

The object of my invention is, first, to avoid the nastysolutioncomposed in part of urine and 'copperas; second, to give a better black;third, to give a more permanent coloring; fourth, to provide a surfacethat will polish without the addition of varnish or other expensivecoating;'fifth, to economize in cost,

This, composition has'many advantages-over the ordinary compound usedfor the purpose of coloring leather. The matter generally used, moreespecially in harness, shoemaker, and other shops, is composed, in partor wholly, of urine and copperas, which is an almost intolerablenuisance, because it is esscntial,to heat the solution every time it isused, commonly done by plunging a red-hot pokcrintothc not, producing amost disgust- I ing odor. It also colors the hands and clothes of theworkmen, and the bench and whatever else it comes in contactjvith- Thishearicompnund has no offensive odor, and does not color the hands,clothes, or hone-hos ol' the workmen. I I

The copperas-urine solution yields a dull, reddish-black color, whichmust be treated with tallow or varnish to bring out'the color desired,and lustre. This beer-eompound at'onceyields a coal or jet-black color,

that, by rubbing with a dry rag or a slicker, gives a fine polish,improving very much the appearance of the leather or work. 1 p s v Thecepperas-colored leather soon fades to a reddish white when exposed toair and water. Leather colored with this beer-composition seems toretain its color through long exposure to air and water.

Harness-makers usually finish up their work with tallow or varnish. Workcovered with this beer-compound does not need tallow or varnish, asthesurface and edges finished and rubbed with this compound have morelustre, and of a superior character, than can be made with tallow, andwith considerable less expense.

The urine-copperas solution fnils'almost entirely on split leather,whilethe beer-compound works equally well on split as on the grain. 1

To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the compound, and my manner of making the same.Y 1 4 I add, to one gallon of lager beer, one ounce of the oxide ofiron, and one ounce of logwood. The -mixturc should be stirred together,and allowed to stand for a few hours, when it is ready for use in thesame manner as the ordinary preparation used for the purpose of blackingleather.

In practice, I procure the sour lager beer and becr slops from thelager-beer saloons, the only cost being that of carrying it away. This Iplace in an iron vessel, andto it I add at the rate of two pounds oflogwood tor. barrel of beer, and a peck, more or less, of iron-tnrn'ingsor filings, or some old horse-shoes or nails, or any old cast or wroughtiron that comes handy. The quantity of iron need not be definite; onlybe sure to get enough. If the vessel be filled up every night with thebeer-slaps, it may be nearly used out during the following day, and sorepeated indefinitely by occasionally adding more iron and logwood.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, isi The ingredients incombination, substantially as described'for the purpose named.

' I J OHNN ENGELHARDT. Witnesses:

S. S. Bnnsnrcr, H. J. Benn.

